All the Word's a Stage
by Siilentpaws
Summary: It's been Aelin's dream to own a theatre, and with childhood friends Lysandra and Nehemia by her side they manage to make that dream a reality. But their reliance on sponsorship from the Mayor of Rifthold, a man with a dark tie to Aelin's past, causes numerous problems, though not as much as his insistance that his son Dorian has a leading part in their first production. Theatre!AU
1. Act I

_Act I_

* * *

Aelin winced each time the mallet hit the wood, driving the "FOR SALE" sign further into the lawn. She hardly heard anything the estate agent said, and just smiled vaguely when he bid them goodbye and drove off down the road.

Lysandra let out a deep breath from where she stood next to Aelin. "It actually feels real now."

"We actually did it," Aelin said, her voice sounding as numb as she felt. "We actually sold our house in favour of buying a goddamn theatre."

"Hush," Lysandra scolded with a poorly concealed grin, covering Evangeline's ears. "No swearing when children are around." Evangeline just giggled, pushing her sister's hands away from her.

"Evangeline had better get used to it, or she's in for a bad shock on our opening night."

Lysandra hummed in response, rolling her eyes. "If your language the week before finals was anything to go by, I'm going to need to buy her a pair of ear plugs."

Aelin let out a snort of laughter. "Get a pair for Nehemia too while you're at it. I think she was about to pass out in shock." With a sudden thought she glanced down at her phone, noting the recent text from Nehemia herself. "We'd better get over to the theatre, Nehemia's just leaving home. We've got to meet our sponsor."

"This is the part I've been dreading," Lysandra muttered as they started off down the road.

Nehemia was waiting for them outside the Stage Door, and Aelin presumed their sponsor had already arrived when she saw the black limo parked outside. "You know, I'm now quite glad we didn't bring the car," Lysandra remarked once Nehemia was within earshot. They shared a battered old ford between them, since they'd pooled all their finances upon leaving the orphanage to pay for both the car and the mortgage on the house. Although Lysandra's modelling job and Aelin's theatre apprenticeship both payed reasonably well, money was always something they had to be careful with despite the small support payment they got from the orphanage for having Evangeline.

Nehemia giggled lightly. "I didn't see them arrive," she said, motioning to the limo. "They must be having a look around inside, the door's already unlocked."

"I'm already disliking them less and less." Lysandra groaned, and Aelin was inclined to agree with her.

"Just remember it might not be for long," Nehemia pointed out, "if we have a good first play, we might be able to afford to go it alone. And my parents keep saying they're more than happy to help us out."

Shaking her head, Aelin pushed open the Stage Door. "Your parents have already helped us more than we can ever repay. I feel guilty asking for more."

"I've known the pair of you for not much short of a decade, and they think of you as their daughters," Nehemia said, a touch of exasperation in her gentle voice. "I think if weren't for the paperwork and hassle then they'd probably have offered to adopt you all. They'd always help you financially if you so much as asked."

"Aelin's too stubborn for that." Evangeline piped up, and Aelin actually groaned out loud. The little redhead was becoming so much like her sister it was scary.

"They've already helped us with the theatre; they payed the deposit on the house, and all the house money went into the theatre." Lysandra said, and Aelin nodded.

Nehemia exhaled deeply, seeming to recognise when she was beaten. "Well the offer will always stand."

They had reached the door that lead to the side stage area. Aelin could just about make out two voices from behind the door, and cast a nervous glance back at Nehemia and Lysandra before pushing her way in. The voices stopped as soon as the door opened, and the two men they belonged to turned to look in Aelin's direction.

The similarities between them were undeniable- the pale skin, black hair and bright blue eyes- but what separated them was how they stood. The older one was looking at Aelin and her companions as if they were intruding in his territory, but the younger man who was obviously his son had an expression of mild embarrassment. Aelin recognised him instantly, and she knew from the shifting of Lysandra and Nehemia behind her that they did to.

"Miss Aelin Galathynius, I presume?" The older man said, looking directly at Aelin. It took a great deal of self control for Aelin not to shudder as she shook hands with the Mayor of Rifthold. She could still remember seeing his face in the newspapers following her parents' murders, since her father had also been running for the mayor title. There had been a great deal of rumour and suspicion about whether Mr Havilliard had orchestrated the murder of Mr and Mrs Galathynius, and although he had been declared innocent by court, Aelin had never forgiven him in her heart.

Mayor Havilliard peered at the document in his other hand, which Aelin presumed was the paper that Aelin, Lysandra and Nehemia had signed when they had paid the deposit on the theatre and had it's ownership transferred into their joint names. "You must be Lysandra DuVency," he glanced at Lysandra, before turning to Nehemia. His lip curled slightly as he said "Nehemia Ytger?"

"Yes," Nehemia nodded, looking Mayor Havilliard undauntedly in the eye. The rivalry between the Havilliards and the Ytgers was long standing, as the two families had been business rivals for decades.

The Mayor held her gaze for a long moment, then jerked his head at his son. "My eldest son, Dorian," he said as Dorian approached, giving Aelin a small smile. "I expect you remember him from your school days?"

"We do," Aelin said, giving Dorian a nod. He had been in the same class as Aelin, Lysandra and Nehemia since they started secondary school, though there had been few words spoken between them.

Silence stretched for a few seconds, before the Mayor cleared his throat noisily. "Well, lets make this as brief as possible. I'm sure you've read the terms of my sponsorship; I will pay your monthly mortgage, and you have to fund everything else you need for your productions."

"And in return," Aelin interrupted, "your business will be advertised on all posters and programmes, you and your family will have one of the boxes free of charge at every performance, and there will be a newspaper article announcing your sponsorship." She had read the terms several times over and thought the last one slightly bizarre, but it made sense now she knew who was sponsoring them.

"That is correct," the Mayor nodded, looking between Aelin, Lysandra and Nehemia as if he was sizing them up in turn. "But that is not all."

Aelin's heart skipped a beat, but in truth she had been expecting a move like that. "But Mr Mayor," she said slowly, her tone as sharp as she dared, "the terms on both sides were all agreed by the solicitor. Any additional favours on our behalf will be breaching the ag-"

The Mayor held up a hand, and Aelin fell silent. "I think you will find," he said, voice smooth, "that this will turn out to be a favour to you more than to me. Finding performers willing to accept salaries as small as you can afford will not be easy. So to help you out, Dorian will be performing in your first play."

Words failed Aelin, and she turned her gaze towards Dorian. He was wearing an apologetic smile which made it clear that the last place in Adarlan he wanted to be at that precise moment was there.

"Thank you for your offer, but we've already finalised a group of performers who are willing to work for us." Nehemia spoke up, bringing Aelin out of her shocked silence. "We were planning on having our first performance as a ballet recital, since Madame Florine's ballet academy expressed an interest in having their annual show here."

To her dismay, the Mayor shook his head. "No no, I insist," he said with particular emphasis, looking hard at Nehemia with poorly concealed distaste. "Dorian will be a part of your first performance, then it will be your decision whether he continues with you or not. What better way of showing the support of my family and I?"

Recovering enough to speak, Aelin smiled sweetly and said "Of course, we'll look forward to working with him."

The Major's eyebrows pinched slightly in the hint of a frown, but it was gone within seconds. "We must return to the Council Chambers now since I have a meeting to attend, but Dorian will be here tomorrow morning to begin your rehersals. Please contact me periodically about your progress. Come now, Dorian."

Without so much as a goodbye, the Mayor was storming through the room. Dorian glanced towards Aelin, opened his mouth as if to say something, then went running after his father. Aelin stared after them, flinching slightly at the sound of the Stage Door banging shut on their way out.

As soon as they were alone, Lysandra let out a ragged breath and Aelin groaned aloud. Evangeline gently touched her elbow, a small smile on her face, and Aelin ruffled her hair in gratitude.

Only Nehemia looked reasonably composed, but then again she nearly always did. "Well, that could have gone better," she sighed.

"No kidding," Lysandra huffed.

"But it's just the first play, isn't it?" said Evangeline, the eternal optimist. "And if you can make enough money then you won't need a sponsorship anymore."

Aelin didn't respond. Suddenly the dream of directing a theatre production seemed about a thousand miles away.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

 _And this is what I've been working on besides AYT this summer! So excited to finally share it, I love this AU and hope everyone else loves it too. This was written as part of the ToG Mini-Bang, organised through Tumblr, where artists and authors were paired up to create a fic with a piece of artwork attatched. The thumb image is what my amazing artist companion painted for this pic, a scene that takes place in the final Act._

 _The story is complete, and will be posted gradually over the next four days. So if you like what you've read there's plenty to look forward to!_


	2. Act II

_Act II_

* * *

After spending the night at Nehemia's house, the next morning found the girls back at the theatre. Nehemia's two younger brothers, Rouvin and Avichai, were with them too since Nehemia had promised to let them see the inside of the theatre. Evangeline and Avichai were close friends at school so were excitedly exploring together, while the slightly older Rouvin tried to keep them in check.

Meanwhile, Lysandra and Nehemia were sat around a table poring over a discouragingly small pile of scripts that only required a small cast of actors while Aelin noted down potential ideas. "This one's no good, you need an ensemble too," Lysandra said as she tossed a script over her shoulder.

"We could get Evangeline, Rouvin and Avichai to be our ensemble?" Aelin suggested with a grin.

Nehemia laughed. "Anyone who can get Rouvin onto a stage deserves a medal. But Evangeline and Avichai would make a sweet duet."

Aelin jabbed her pen at Nehemia. "Good point. That's noted for later."

Suddenly Lysandra made a noise of interest, looking with scrutiny at a script. "Do you think Dorian can sing?"

Aelin and Nehemia glanced at each other in surprise. "I haven't the foggiest," Aelin shrugged, "why d'you ask?"

Lysandra said nothing, simply handed over her script with a sly smile. "A musical with three parts for one male and two females," Aelin read out, her interest growing. "That actually sounds like it might work."

"It'd have to be me and Nehemia on stage," Lysandra said, "because no offence, Aelin, but you can't sing for toffee-AH!" She broke off with a squawk as Aelin lobbed another script in her direction, which hit her directly in the face. Nehemia was trying unsuccessfully to stifle her laughter by holding a hand over her mouth, but when Aelin shot a glare at her she only giggled harder.

"I'm afraid she does have a point, Aelin," Nehemia said between breaths, "I don't think anyone will forget our first Nativity play when you sung _Away in a Manger._ "

The memory made Aelin chuckle inwardly; although she might look like a traditional angel with her long white-blond hair, especially before she'd cut it shorter upon leaving college, the Nativity director had very quickly come to regret his decision upon hearing Aelin sing. Nehemia had been switched in at the last minute, as her soft yet deep voice had suited the hymn perfectly. While Lysandra also sang very well, her voice was much sharper and rowdier and altogether very un-angelic.

A muted knock on the sidestage door interrupted Aelin's nostalgia, and she couldn't help but sigh aloud. It would undoubtedly be Dorian knocking, ready to begin what would almost certainly be a disastrous rehearsal.

With a resigned glance at Lysandra and Nehemia, Aelin called out "Come on in!" She'd left the Stage Door unlocked in the morning, taping a hastily scribbled sign to go straight through and knock on the side stage door instead. Since the side stage door was mostly soundproof for obvious reasons, it would be nearly impossible to hear anyone banging on Stage Door from the backstage area.

The door was pushed open and Dorian entered to no-one's surprise, but Aelin frowned slightly when another man of a similar age followed him in. "Chaol, right?" Aelin asked Dorian's companion, who nodded without a smile. She ought to have guessed that she might see him again, since he and Dorian had been practically joined at the hip during their time at school.

"We thought you could use a stage hand," Dorian explained, giving Aelin a friendly smile. He seemed much more comfortable without his father at his back, and Aelin shared the sentiment.

Lysandra interrupted before Aelin could respond. "Hey Dorian, can you sing?"

The confusion on Dorian's face was almost comical. "I suppose so, why do you ask?"

"Because we're doing a musical," Lysandra announced, and Aelin ducked just in time for her to throw a script Frisbee-style at Dorian. He caught it messily before glancing down the page and nodding just slightly. "How long have we got to rehearse?"

"Four weeks."

At Aelin's statement, Dorian's eyebrows shot up as he stared blankly at her. "You can't be serious."

"Oh you bet we are," Lysandra gave a resigned grin, "so we're starting right away." With a script in each of their hands, Lysandra and Nehemia stood from the table and beckoned to Dorian. "Onto the stage and we'll give it a run-through. Aelin'll accompany us in the real thing but for now I'm sure we can find a soundtrack CD online."

Once Dorian, Nehemia and Lysandra had left, Aelin turned her gaze to Chaol. He looked mostly as she remembered him, golden skin with neat chestnut hair and bronze eyes that regarded everyone apart from Dorian harshly. "So," Aelin started, "shall I give you the Grand Tour?"

Two hours later, Aelin found herself sat beside Chaol in the front row of the Stalls. They had ran into Evangeline, Rouvin and Avichai on their tour, and they were now trying to balance on the seats beside Aelin without pushing them down into the proper sitting position. Aelin's head was in her hands, and she was watching the stage through gaps between her fingers.

How she was going to turn this into a theatre-ready production in a mere month was beyond her. Lysandra and Nehemia were both giving it their all, but the massive problem was Dorian. While he did sing well, he was clearly nervous under the spotlight and kept shooting nervous glances at the ladies. Just as they were about to launch into the next musical number after a long period of dialogue, Aelin couldn't bear to hear anymore.

"Stop!" she yelled, and Nehemia released the breath she had just sucked in with a confused tilt of her head. "Just stop. I'm calling a lunch break."

Nehemia and Lysandra exchanged a glance, but nodded nonetheless. "We'll meet you in the rafters Aelin," Nehemia called, beckoning to her brothers and Evangeline as she and Lysandra left the stage.

"You two can eat wherever you like," Aelin said to Chaol. "If you need us we'll be in the rafters; the ladder's in the left wing just next to the controls desk." Without waiting for a response, she was on her feet and following the children out of the audience.

The rafters was one of Aelin's favourite places in the theatre, because in contrast to the stuffy heat of backstage it was surprisingly, refreshingly cool. There were no working refrigerators in the theatre, but both the cellar and the rafters were cold enough to store food for a short while without it going off. Evangeline, Rouvin and Avichai all had packed lunches in Tupperware boxes that Mrs Ytger had made for them, while Aelin, Nehemia and Lysandra had picked up some sandwiches from the nearby convenience store.

"I've had a response from Madame Florine," Lysandra reported, scrolling through her phone messages. "From that email I sent her last night. She said she's perfectly happy to wait for us to be ready, and mentioned doing a Christmas recital too. Something like the Nutcracker would look nice."

Aelin nodded absentmindedly, picking at the crust of her sandwich. "How are we going to do this?" she asked no-one in particular. "No offense, you two, but that looked absolutely awful. We've got four weeks to turn him from the mayor's poster child into a half-decent actor."

"We'll manage it." Nehemia said, her voice soothing. "It's very early days yet. Who knows what we can do in the next few days. He might just surprise us."

Lysandra huffed. "I wonder if the Mayor actually wants us to fail. He's certainly not making this easy for us."

Shaking her head in agreement, Aelin sighed. "You know what I'm wondering? Is this just a publicity stunt to make it look like the Havilliard and Galathynius families have reconciled. There are still plenty of people who believed the rumours ten years ago."

"As much as I hate to say it, Aelin, you could may be right." Lysandra said.

"Hello? Can I come up?" called a voice from below. "It's just Dorian, Chaol's gone to get food."

Aelin glanced at Nehemia and Lysandra, and when they both shrugged Aelin shuffled over to the top of the ladder. Peering over the edge, she could see Dorian looking hopefully up at her. "Alright, just mind your head when you get to the top," she shouted down, "the roof's not very high."

There were a few oofs and grunts as Dorian reached the top of the ladder and started to crawl across the floorboards, punctuated by a thud as he hit his head on a low beam. Aelin stifled her snigger at the sight of his pained expression, keeping her own face neutral as he joined their makeshift circle.

"Look," he started, glancing around at them all, "you can all be honest; I know none of you want me here. It's entirely my fault why we never spoke at school; I was strongly advised not to associate with you, Nehemia-" he quailed momentarily under Nehemia's glare, but continued quickly "-and I was so convinced you hated my guts, Aelin, that I never tried to talk to you. So you've all got good reason to not want me here." He paused then, regaining breath, and Aelin had time to think that she'd never heard him say so much in such a short space of time.

"The fact is, though, that I don't want your plan to fail. I heard what you were saying before I called, and Lysandra you are right. My father showed no interest in the theatre until he heard that your name was on the contract, Aelin. But I'm not my father, and I don't ever want to be."

Aelin stared at Dorian for a moment, before turning her gaze to Nehemia and Lysandra. Both appeared just as shocked as she felt, though it was Nehemia who finally responded first. Pushing her sandwich wrapper onto the floor, she shifted forwards and extended her hand to Dorian.

Dorian looked from the slender brown hand to his former adversary who was offering it. Nehemia's encouraging smile seemed to make up his mind; he leaned towards her and shook it firmly.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Here's Act II. I'm ill and tired so will write a proper AN later._


	3. Act III

_Act III_

* * *

It was less than a week before the Theatre Crew received a new member. Nehemia, Lysandra and Dorian were busy rehearsing and Chaol had been required at his job with the Mayor's Guards, so it was just Aelin organising the backstage area. Although Chaol was quickly picking up the basics of backstage work and Evangeline always helped out when she wasn't at school, it was becoming evident that they really needed an extra pair of hands.

Quite early on it had been decided to install a doorbell for the Stage Door that could be heard within the backstage area, to make sure that no-one got locked out of the Theatre if they had to leave. Chaol's return had been expected at any minute, so Aelin wasn't surprise when the shrill ring of the bell echoed around the left wing. But what did surprise her was opening Stage Door to find not Chaol, but a young woman of about her age there instead.

"Hello," Aelin said, "Can I help you?"

The woman nodded once. "I used to work here under the old owners, as a stagehand. Do you have any positions open?"

Aelin's interest piqued at the mention of 'stagehand', but then sank again when she realised what the woman was asking. "Yes but we're all voluntary here, until we've got a steady income we won't be able to hire any-"

"Not important. I have a job, I don't need money. I stopped getting paid for stagehanding once I was hired elsewhere, but I kept working because I loved the job. And if you'll have me, I want it back."

Not quite believing her luck, Aelin nodded. "What's your name?"

"Nesryn Faliq. It's Aelin Galathynius, right?"

Aelin nodded again. "What are you like with meeting cues? Our current and only stagehand is still learning the ropes."

Smirking just slightly, Nesryn said "I don't miss."

Aelin grinned, standing back to let Nesryn in through Stage Door. "I think I'm going to like you, Nesryn Faliq."

"Nesryn?"

Both women turned to see a gobsmacked Chaol standing in the doorway, looking between Aelin and Nesryn with apparent confusion. "Nesryn, what are you doing here?"

"I just got hired," Nesryn stated matter-of-factly. "Or rather, rehired. You?"

Still looking bewildered, it took Chaol a moment to answer. "I suppose you could say the same."

"Er, I hate to break up this reunion, but how do you two know each other?" Aelin asked, thoroughly exasperated.

Chaol glanced suddenly at Aelin as if he had forgotten she was there. "Nesryn and I worked together in the Police Cadets before I moved to the King's Guard," Chaol explained, "It's been a couple of years."

"Well don't spend too much time catching up," Aelin teased, "this place needs some serious tidying up. I'm leaving you to it because I've got some serious sheet music to learn, and only three weeks to do it in."

Those three weeks went by quickly.

Thankfully, so did Dorian's progress. With a little help from Nehemia, Aelin's general comment had gone from 'Dorian you can't act for shit,' to something more like 'Dorian you're actually pretty good at this.' With his newfound confidence, his singing ability also developed to the point where Aelin was thoroughly impressed, something that she'd never expected to happen.

Having been a piano player since a very young age, Aelin was able to learn the accompaniment music fairly easily. There had been a piano in the orphanage where she had been raised after her parents' murder, dusty from neglect until she arrived, which she would play until her fingers were sore. Accompanying a singer wasn't something new either; duetting with Lysandra had been the ice-breaker in their friendship when she and Evangeline had arrived in the orphanage two years later. When baby Evangeline's cries disturbed the silence of the night, Aelin would sneak downstairs and play the same soft lullaby that her nanny Marion had taught her so long ago. If Lysandra coudn't sleep she would join Aelin, beautiful face stained with tears of her own, and Aelin would teach her the words to her song.

This left Aelin plenty of time to watch the actors and direct the show without worrying about her own role. Evangeline quickly became their chief prompter, sitting atop the high wooden stool with a script of her own and a microphone within arm's reach. Whenever someone missed a line, sang the wrong words, or did something else that wasn't to Evangeline's tastes, she would yell her corrections down the microphone and nearly deafen everyone else in the process.

"Give it a few years, Aelin, and she'll be your director in training!" Lysandra laughed after receiving a particularly long telling-off. Aelin merely rolled her eyes, knowing that she was likely to be right.

Getting hold of costumes proved to be less difficult than everyone had anticipated. There were no specifications in the script about what costumes were expected, already making their job a lot easier. In the end a trip to the local charity shop was all they needed for the three costumes, as well as some plain black attire for Chaol and Nesryn. Lysandra picked out a simple green dress that worked fantastically with her emerald eyes, and Nehemia's deep purple dress complemented her complexion beautifully. Dorian chose a simple combination of black trousers and a cream-coloured shirt, refusing absolutely when Aelin suggested a sequined blue bow-tie. There were a few minor adjustments to be made, but with Lysandra a surprisingly capable seamstress it didn't cause any problems.

Once Chaol and Nesryn had fully cleared the backstage area, the mammoth task of scenery design began. On a suggestion from Nesryn, they took down the black curtain at the back of the stage and completely covered the wall, floor to ceiling, in plain wallpaper. With the aid of a harness and the theatre's flying mechanism, Nesryn was able to be lifted off ground level to paint a simple scenery mural onto the wall. The idea was something she'd see done at the theatre during the early days of her stagehand job, and when Aelin saw the finished design she could see why it was so effective. Since there were no scenery changes to be done during the show, Chaol was then put on light and curtain duty while Nesryn took control of the sound desk.

It had been a rocky start and a long journey, but the band of former foes and unlikely colleagues had transformed into a well-oiled crew and possibly even a family.

When the night of the first performance arrived, everyone gathered in the largest dressing room for what Lysandra called a 'last minute pep talk', though it wasn't actually last minute as there was over an hour before the curtain rose. Nehemia, Lysandra and Dorian were all costumed and in the process of applying stage makeup, which the girls could do themselves but a clueless Dorian needed Nesryn's help with. Evangeline was intently watching Nesryn work, but Rouvin and Avichai were both in the audience with Mr and Mrs Ytger.

"Keep still," Nesryn muttered not for the first time, eyeliner pen hovering above Dorian's cheek.

Aelin had noticed his quick glances to one side too, but couldn't work out what he was looking at until Evangeline spoke up. "You can ask, if you like. I've seen you looking."

Dorian expression turned to embarrassment, and it suddenly clicked in Aelin's mind. With Evangeline practically hovering over Nesryn's shoulder, it would have been impossible for him not to notice the scars on her cheeks. Lysandra had clearly realised it too, as she exchanged an uneasy look with Aelin that said 'if he's rude then I'll murder him, performance or not'.

"Actually, it was my brother who first told me about... them," Dorian admitted. "Hollin's been complaining since you were both put in the same class that he doesn't know what caused them. But don't feel you have to tell me."

Evangeline shook her head. "I don't mind people asking, it's better than them staring."

Aelin felt a rush of pride for the young girl. She knew firsthand how hard it was to talk about a difficult past, and greatly admired Evangeline's ability to do so with such ease. But at the same time, Evangeline had been so young when she came to the orphanage that Aelin doubted she remembered it with anywhere near the same intensity as Lysandra did.

"I don't remember it happening very well, but it's the earliest thing I do remember. I think I'd been crying for a long time, and our mother got tired of it. She didn't want us around anymore. So she got a kitchen knife, gave me these, and then called the police to blame it on Lysandra."

Despite hearing the story many times, Aelin's stomach still churned every time it was told. She would never understand how a mother could do that to her children, to her two year old baby and 10 year old daughter. More than that, there was something about Evangeline's simple way of telling the tale that made it seem so much worse.

Lysandra continued for her "She was drunk at the time, though she was drunk a lot of the time. We never knew our father. But after the police came, they took one look at the scene and decided that I couldn't have done it. She was arrested, Evangeline was taken to hospital, then we were both taken to the orphanage."

"Where you met Aelin," Dorian mused aloud, pallid with shock. He looked around at Lysandra as if seeing her with new eyes, before turning back to Evangeline. "I won't tell Hollin. If he wants to know he can ask you himself."

"He already has," Evangeline said, grinning proudly. "Everyone at school apart from Avichai thinks that they're from when I fought a leopard single-handedly. It was Lysandra's idea."

The sombre mood vanished instantly and everyone was roaring with laughter. "I meant it as a joke!" Lysandra gasped out, "I never thought you'd actually use it!"

"You are a hellion, you know." Aelin chuckled, shaking her head.

Nesryn was the only one who had stopped laughing, looking thoughtful instead. "I can teach you to cover them up if you want. They'll still be there but a lot less noticeable, only someone who was looking would be able to see them."

Evangeline looked at Nesryn with surprise written on her face. "I'd like that," she said, sounding slightly shy, "yes please."

The loud buzzing of Aelin's phone made her jump, pulling it out of her pocket to see the alarm she'd set earlier flashing on her screen. "That's an hour until showtime!" she reported, a thrill of adrenaline rushing through her veins. "Action stations, everyone, we've got a show to put on!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Feeling better today but can't be bothered to do an AN for yesterday's chapter :p_

 _We now have the full cast, unless you count a few characters showing up for the most part of two seconds in tomorrow's final act._


	4. Act IV

_Act IV_

* * *

The six-night run went a lot quicker than Aelin had been expecting. That time period had been decided at the beginning of the production when everyone was still convinced it would be a; though it had turned out to be anything but, Aelin was still glad they were doing a short run. The musical itself was incredibly challenging, for Aelin on the piano as well as Dorian, Lysandra, and Nehemia, far more so than she'd first thought. It was widely agreed that if they'd been doing the show any longer they might have all crashed from exhaustion.

Their second good decision had been only doing one show per day, with the exception of the final Saturday where there would be both a matinee and an evening. Originally it had been because the run was during term-time, and as a full member of their crew it was unanimously agreed that Evangeline would be there for every performance. But after the first show it became apparent that more than one show a day would just be too much, since Aelin and Lysandra usually ended up sleeping until at least noon every day. By the time Friday came along, Lysandra, Nehemia and Dorian were on vocal rest all the time they weren't performing to save their voices for the stage. Aelin had hired Evangeline to be her personal scribe too, in order to give her fingers a rest after all the piano playing she had to do each night.

But finally, after seven exhausting, exhilarating performances, their final show had reached it's end.

Aelin heaved a massive sigh and closed the lid of her piano, tapping the top lightly as if she were praising a dog. She looked up to see Dorian, Nehemia and Lysandra join hands and take a bow in centre stage, before the curtain rolled down. Knowing that was her cue, Aelin rushed up the stairs to the left wing where Evangeline, Chaol, and Nesryn were waiting. Evangeline handed Aelin her prompting microphone from atop Chaol's shoulders; in the time they had spent working together she had grown to love him almost like a big brother. Chaol pushed the lever for the slow curtain open, giving enough time for Aelin and her sidestage crew to get onto the stage with the actors before the curtain was open.

The applause from the full audience was almost deafening, and Aelin had to wait a few moments to make herself heard even with the microphone. Once the noise eventually died down, she cleared her throat and switched on the microphone before speaking.

"Since this is our final performance of this show, I'd like to take a moment to thank you all on behalf of our entire team," she began, sweeping her hand around to indicate the others. "It was always going to be a gamble, taking on this theatre, but thanks to the help of our sponsor, the dedication of this cast and crew, and the support of everyone who's seen the show this week, I'm proud to say we have made it. This is only the beginning of what will surely be a bright future for the Rifthold Theatre."

A smattering of applause started, giving Aelin time to pause for breath. She glanced at the others at her side and quickly memorised the order they were standing in before she continued. "So please, put your hands together for Nehemia Ytger, Dorian Havilliard, Lysandra Du Vency, Nesryn Faliq, Evangeline Du Vency, and Chaol Westfall!"

She broke off with an irritated noise as Chaol snatched the microphone away from her and added "And Aelin Galathynius!"

The applause was even louder this time, bringing an unintentional grin to Aelin's face. Chaol set Evangeline down on the ground before everyone joined hands and bowed again. After another minute or so, Evangeline snuck off the stage and lowered the curtain to signal the end of the show.

"I don't think we could have asked for a better ending." Lysandra beamed, sweeping Evangeline off her feet into a crushing hug.

"Or a better run throughout." Nehemia added, and Aelin had to agree with her.

Dorian nodded, looking happier than Aelin had ever seen him. "It was amazing, every last moment." Evangeline released herself from Lysandra's vice-like embrace and turned to Dorian instead, who hoisted her onto his shoulders much like Chaol had done. It was only then that Aelin noticed Evangeline's scars were almost perfectly concealed, and she shot Nesryn a grateful glance.

Their moment of joy was spoiled by the jarring sound of the door that separated side stage from the nearest box was unlatched. Into view strode the Mayor of Rifthold, followed closely by Lady Georgina and Dorian's brother Hollin. The Mayor's face was a mask of disapproval as he took in the sight of Aelin's team, especially Evangeline riding atop Dorian's shoulders.

"Dorian, put that child down at once and look like a dignitary," he snapped, and Dorian carefully lowered Evangeline down to the ground. His attention was then turned to Aelin, and in the same harsh tone he said "Miss Galathynius, since this venture of yours has been so successful we need to rediscuss the terms of my sponsorship."

Aelin swallowed hard, suddenly feeling incredible nervous. She'd been expecting this moment to come since the beginning of their show week, but hadn't expected it to be quite so soon after the final performance. From the sounds beyond the curtain, the audience hadn't even fully cleared yet.

"Actually, Mr Mayor, we were thinking the same thing." Nehemia was suddenly by Aelin's side, lending support as she faced down the man who was Aelin's worst nightmare. "This week we've had many offers of support from the general public, including a great deal of financial help."

Lysandra chipped in, appearing at Aelin's other shoulder. "Those include patronage from Madame Florine's Academy and a band of actresses called The Thirteen, and donations from the Ytger family and the Faliq family."

Out of the corner of her eye, Aelin saw Nesryn stood by Nehemia's side as they both smirked at the Mayor. His face was just starting to go a deep shade of red.

"The point is, Mr Mayor," Aelin continued, a flashy grin upon her face. There was no going back now, and somehow that made her unafraid. "That we don't need your sponsorship anymore. The success of this performance means we can go solo from here on in."

Silence reigned, and the Mayor's face went from shock to fury to intense irritation in the space of less than a minute. Just as Aelin thought she would have to restart the conversation herself, the quiet was interrupted by Hollin jabbing a finger towards Evangeline and yelling "Mother, why are her scars gone?"

Any hope of a peaceful agreement were instantly shattered. Blood was roaring in Aelin's ears, the edge of her vision blurring slightly, and it was only Nehemia's strong hand on her shoulder that stopped her from trying to throttle the boy. Lysandra had drawn Evangeline close to her and was actually snarling at the Mayor. But it was Dorian who made the first move, taking a step forward and shouting "Don't you say anything about her."

The Mayor, Lady Georgina, and Hollin were all in varying states of shock. Hollin was actually gaping like a fish out of water, bringing Aelin a moment of brief amusement despite the grave circumstances. Finally recollecting himself, the Mayor stepped towards Dorian and thundered "You aren't required to stay with these people anymore, Dorian, so I suggest you stop this nonsense and come home."

Chaol and Nesryn both tensed, and Aelin knew that if the Mayor laid a hand on his son then he would have a police cadet and his own personal Guard at his throat. Dorian straightened him up, looking his father directly in the eye. "No," he said, calmly and clearly, "these people are my friends. You can't make me leave them."

The Mayor opened his mouth to speak, but Aelin piped up before he had the chance. "Mr Mayor, you did say when you first insisted we had Dorian as one of our performers that at the end of our first show it would be our choice whether he stayed or not. Well, now that time has come, I would like him to stay."

"As would the rest of us," Nehemia added. Chaol, Nesryn and Lysandra nodded their agreement.

The Mayor swept his gaze around each of them, and every single one met his gaze without flinching. It seemed that Dorian's steely nerve had become infectious, rendering them all immune to the Mayor's intimidation. "Georgina, Hollin, come now we're leaving," he eventually snapped, seeming to realise he was defeated. What remained of the Havilliard family drew themselves together and bustled out of the side stage door, a bang in the distance indicating they had left the premises.

"Whew," Aelin breathed, brushing back her hair with a sweep of her hand. She glanced at Dorian, chewing his lip anxiously, and asked "Are you alright?"

Dorian nodded, giving Aelin a semi-genuine smile before saying "I don't think it'll be a good idea to go home today." Chaol nodded, also looking slightly concerned; Aelin presumed he lived in the Mayor's property too.

"Then let's crash here for tonight," Aelin said, sighing inwardly with relief when Evangeline's face was instantly lit with a grin. "We'll sleep in the rafters, there's a bunch of old blankets in the cellar we can use. Someone get the pizza company on the phone, tonight's a cause to celebrate!"

* * *

It was 9:30 at night when everyone was installed comfortably in the rafters, complete with pizza, blankets, a few sleeping bags from Nehemia's house, and the additions of Rouvin and Avichai. They were talking enthusiastically with Evangeline around their own pizza while everyone else sat in their own makeshift circle.

"So," Lysandra started, wiping tomato paste from around her mouth, "what's next?"

As Aelin paused for thought, Nesryn spoke first. "It's the Christmas season next, so maybe a Pantomime? They usually draw very good audiences."

"That's something I hadn't thought of," Aelin admitted, nodding in thought. "But could we put on a ballet company performance and a pantomime at the same time?"

Nesryn nodded. "Actually, yes you can. We won't be involved in the ballet company, so there won't be anyone learning two performances apart from Chaol and I with the technical side of it. In terms of schedule, the pantomime is more for children so perhaps run the ballet during the week then the pantomime on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays."

"I'll bet those three will want to be involved," Nehemia laughed quietly, inclining her head in the direction of Evangeline, Rouvin, and Avichai.

Taking another slice of pizza, Dorian asked "I presume we'll be performing again in the pantomime?"

Aelin laughed. "Worried your dramatics were for nothing? Of course we'll be, I'm the wrong sort of shape for the ballet company."

"Though as hero of the evening, maybe Dorian should get the choice?" Lysandra suggested, winking hard at Aelin who instantly caught her train of thought.

"Oh, of course," she grinned wickedly. "What's it to be then Dorian, ballet tights or an Ugly Stepsister?"

Chaol had to slap Dorian hard on the back to stop him choking on his pizza, as Aelin laughed harder than she could remember doing in a long time.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _And here we have it, the final Act. I hope everyone's enjoyed this as much as I have done writing this._

 _Even while writing this I could think of so many ways in which I could expand this AU, which I couldn't do this time around due to time constraints. These were needing the whole thing written by a deadline and also having to compete with personal statement writing, the QLFC, and my main fanfic._

 _But perhaps, perhaps, I'll come back to this one day and write the full-blown masterpiece that this AU probably deserves._

 _Thank you for reading :)_


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